Nurse anesthetist vs operating room nurse

The differences between nurse anesthetists and operating room nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a nurse anesthetist, becoming an operating room nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse anesthetist has an average salary of $170,563, which is higher than the $68,255 average annual salary of an operating room nurse.

The top three skills for a nurse anesthetist include patients, CRNA and patient care. The most important skills for an operating room nurse are patients, BLS, and acls.

Nurse anesthetist vs operating room nurse overview

	Nurse Anesthetist	Operating Room Nurse
Yearly salary	$170,563	$68,255
Hourly rate	$82.00	$32.81
Growth rate	40%	6%
Number of jobs	62,419	545,487
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	45	44
Years of experience	4	2

What does a nurse anesthetist do?

A nurse anesthetist specializes in administering anesthesia to patients while under the supervision of physicians or an anesthesiologist. Their responsibilities mainly revolve around inspecting a patient's medical history to identify any diseases or allergy, assist by preparing them for the surgery, prepare anesthetics, determine the appropriate dosage, and discuss the extent of surgery, including any long or short-term side effects. Moreover, it is crucial to monitor a patient's vital signs while administering anesthetics to ensure that everything will go smoothly.

What does an operating room nurse do?

An Operating Room Nurse assists surgeons during operations and keeps the operating room sterile at all times. They ensure that patients are ready for transport to the recovery room.

Nurse anesthetist vs operating room nurse salary

Nurse anesthetists and operating room nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Nurse Anesthetist	Operating Room Nurse
Average salary	$170,563	$68,255
Salary range	Between $89,000 And $325,000	Between $42,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	Trinity Health	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Professional

Differences between nurse anesthetist and operating room nurse education

There are a few differences between a nurse anesthetist and an operating room nurse in terms of educational background:

	Nurse Anesthetist	Operating Room Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Nurse anesthetist vs operating room nurse demographics

Here are the differences between nurse anesthetists' and operating room nurses' demographics:

	Nurse Anesthetist	Operating Room Nurse
Average age	45	44
Gender ratio	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 4.7% Asian, 7.2% White, 81.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	32%	9%

Differences between nurse anesthetist and operating room nurse duties and responsibilities

Nurse anesthetist example responsibilities.

Manage use of anesthesia machine and mechanical ventilation.
Perform specialty cares in the ICU and maternity unit.
Initiate the induction of anesthesia, intubation, and monitoring during the anesthesia.
Provide full scope midwifery care in busy FQHC clinics, birth center and hospital; credential with CAMC
Full scope midwifery care in a community hospital setting
Respond to cardiac arrests and situations demanding emergency intubation.

Operating room nurse example responsibilities.

Post op surgery assist recovery nurse with obtaining vitals signs and attaching EKG leads and oxygen.
Achieve departmental goals and objectives by instituting SGNA standards and processes for inpatient and outpatient care.
Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
General surgery, ortho, GU, GI and ENT and dentals.
Complete BLS and ACLS certification.
Specialize in GYN, urology and orthopedics.

Nurse anesthetist vs operating room nurse skills

Common nurse anesthetist skills

Patients, 22%
CRNA, 12%
Patient Care, 8%
Anesthesia Care, 7%
AANA, 4%
Informed Consent, 4%

Common operating room nurse skills

Patients, 21%
BLS, 13%
Acls, 7%
Surgical Procedures, 4%
PACU, 3%
Pre-op, 3%

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Nurse Anesthetist
Nurse Anesthetist vs Operating Room Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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